Lurking xenophobia

by Manish Anand


Fate of 12 Indians on board the Dutch airlines is just a pointer to widespread xenophobia, which is gripping the world at an alarming rate. Demarche served by the Indian government to the Dutch ambassador is nothing but a meek reply to the humiliation meted out to the Indian community. Islamic terrorism has led to the setting in of suspicion and then of fear and then of paranoia in the minds of the white about all black with Muslim names. Human frailty has no ends, and in the times to come such incidents may unroll racial hatred of much larger proportion across the nations.


Apropos to the British security agencies that they averted mid-air explosion of near dozen US bound airlines. Suspects again proved to be disgruntled muslims, having roots in Pakistan. The impulsive statement of the US president, George Bush, that Islamic fundamentalism poses great risk to the world is though a blunt admission of truth widely accepted, but badly delivered to the consumption of Islamic community.


Israel raiding Lebanon, hunting for Hezbollah guerilla, has also made the West Asian Muslims pliant in the hands of the fundamentalists. Deaths of innocents in Lebanon have been widely reported with pictures of maimed and killed drawing worldwide condemnation of reckless arrogance of the Zionist state.


Four years ago while delivering a memorial lecture in Harward University, the former US president, Bill Clinton, had brilliantly captured the psyche of the divide between Muslims and Christians. “Every mother in West Asia tells her sons and daughters stories of crusade. Brutalities of Christians against Muslims, magnified manyfold, are told to kids. They grow up hating Non-Muslims, with revenge deeply etched in their minds. Any peace effort if it has to have a chance of success has to target this psyche. And, for that to happen current problems there have to give ways to peace,” Clinton had remarked to spell-bound audience, which was telecast live by BBC World.


But the way the events are unfolding there is hardly any reason to be optimistic. Threat perception is much larger. No one is safe. Terrorist attacks have acquired alarming precision and reach. The world map is dotted with enough places, which can act as perennial reasons of indoctrination. Impressionable minds are in abundance, ready to join ranks with hardened militants.


An ex-intelligence official with wide experience in Kashmir and having experience of breaking down most of hardened terrorists while interrogating them had an interesting experience to share with officers of the Steel Frame of India. “The only militant I could not break down despite one full year of interrogation was a 14-year-old boy. All methods were tried. His mother was brought to him, and told that she would suffer for his refusal to open up. But he disowned her as his mother. One year later his commander was arrested, and was broken down with ease, and he told everything. But when the boy was encountered with new information, he just said that the arrested militant was lying,” the retired intelligence man had remarked.


A 14-year-old kid could be so steeled!


A collective effort is awaited, which must ensure that tension between nations and their peoples as well as between different religions lessen if they do not end.

Rocking the wall

by Manish Anand

Hundreds of medicos are being tear-gassed near Supreme Court, the custodian of rights of citizens of India, while the government presents Bill for reservation in educational institutions. The Bill would be referred to the standing committee, and students would return to classes. Few days of anger will peter down, and the political class will have its ways eventually. A pattern well etched in the functioning of Indian democracy.

The judiciary should not be expected to police the ever-cunning politicians. It’s just too much for asking. Still, the worst fear of an average Indian is an encounter with the behemoth Indian federal state.

My bedroom window faces the road where there is a permanent police ticket. While my eyes feel weariness reading literature, I stand by the window to look outside. Policemen there are stopping all the bikers, checking their documents, and as happen in the night-time, one goes on fun ride, forgetting license, the cops there are ever ready to pounce for their shares. While their colleagues might be sleeping in police stations, these folks are on their toes, as their hard work of the night yields fattened pockets.


Though Delhi has much more informed citizens, ready to fight for their rights, the vast swathe of India face the might of the all-pervasive Indian system. A visit to a court in a district town, because it had a good restaurant with non-vegetarian stuff at economical rates, had bewildered me with the functioning of judiciary some years ago. Every nook and corner on the road side, the park, nearby ground were occupied by men in black robes, waiting for their never-ending clients trickling in to them.

Curiosity led me to enquire who these lawyers were, and hard truth turned out to be those who found no other jobs in the world, taking admission in law colleges where there was no need to attend classes, and passing exams were the easiest things in the world. Probably that would have been small town stuff. But what about Delhi. No difference at all! While here law school students prepare for IAS exams, they get a little 50-page guide, called tiggi, which contains all questions and answers that would appear in the exam without any surprise. If you happen to get a job of your choice, well and good, otherwise the wilting, wounded million citizens of India, caught in innumerable litigations, would keep you and your family thriving.

Never mind if you happen to have just few clients, as they will keep you paying till they die as cases run for life in Indian courts.

Power comes as well when you wear black. Cops will always yield and will make an alliance for the thriving business of fattening of purses.

Ever heard of National Judicial Commission. All talks of judicial reforms, which kept print media busy with views and counter views! Political class chose to give it a silent burial as it well served their interests.

Thanks to the Indian judiciary and the police, it’s simplest to harass anyone in India. Few months ago a deputy inspector general of police of Uttaranchal enlightened the author that more than 80 per cent of rape cases are filed either by prostitutes or out of vendetta. Even if cops know the motives, the laws unfolded blindly as accused landed behind the bars with reputation gone with the wind.

The home minister Shivraj Patil while accepting the proposal by women activists for broadening the ambit of sexual assault had well opined that there has to be mechanism to ensure that the law does not become tool in the hands of those who want to harass others. But such tools never exist, or are ever looked at by the law enforcement agencies. Long way to go before any meaningful functioning of law, legislature, and democracy see the day of the light!

Medicos must be better advised to look for alternatives then face tear-gas.

Tradition lost

by Manish Anand

The demise of Ustad Bismillah Khan must be a great loss. It just can't be compensated. The man enthralled millions, made each Indian proud of him, spoke chaste Hindi, unusual for celebrities, remained mired in typical middle class trifles of cribbling for more and more money, and in the end died, complaining of the state not doing much for him.


Shehnai would miss his lips, the music which brought happiness, and peace amidst all cacophany dished out by the new era of music. Banaras, the city of tradition, would rememeber the worthy son of the soil for ages as the son never disowned the cultural city. Not a music critic, but as a novice I listened to his performances, and spellbound I though that only a magician could get the dead wood pipe to take its audience to the journey of bliss.


The state could never do much for him. He implored former prime minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, to get some jobs for his sons. He interrupted his recitals with elaborations of his poverty. Sometimes, he sounded a greedy man, asking for his booty for being the custodian of a great art. Awards came his way like his admireres.


But probably, he remained poor because he did not know the art of managing his finance. Nothing unusual as such is case among many middle class Indians. Goddess Luxmy is so chanchal, she cant stay at one place for long. Also, he was affected by not being able to take on the garb of the English speaking as others of his ilk did. So many get maddened by the new crowd of aggressive Indians, pushing themeselves ahead of others all the time.


The next time we hear Sehanai at a marriage function, our hearts would definitely wonder if the great master would again touch the wooden pipes for the sake of humanity. He must!

Profiteering offices

by Manish Anand

President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam finally assented to the Office of Profit BIll, basically an amendment to Prevention of Disqualification Amendment Bill, 2006. It aims to legitimise the profiteering business of being a parliamentarian or a legislature.


Politicians make their livings the hard ways. Also, most of them get lady luck smiling for few years when they enter parliament or a legislature. Otherwise, they get lost in the labyrinth of many khadi-clad sloganeering band. That puts them into hyperactivity to milk the mamarries of the welfare state, but even their hard sucking fail to dry them.


More than 40 odd MPs must kneel down to the Congress president Sonia Gandhi, because it was she who made the Union government to pass the Bill in all haste with showering booty on all; caste, creed, sex, religion no bar. Now, Sonia herself can return to Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and many other such organisations with abundant staff drawn from Steel Frame of India.


Cynical minds should not lose their sleeps over the president assenting to the Bill. It just institutionalises what has been the norms across the length and breadth of the nation. It’s just the greed of we Indians, which remains insatiable no matter what one accumulates.


Typical mind set to milk to the hilt comes to mind by an anecdote. A senior IAS officer along with his family had come calling to a district town. While leaving the place, the stern bureaucrat asked a cop in attention to fetch water for him. Being a constable and used to tantrums of superior officials, he had no guts to ask for the cost. He brought one Bisleri water, which sent the wife of the babu into a frenzy. “One bottle for the whole journey. You idiot, don’t you have any sense! Bring a dozen bottles, fast. Constable was left poorer by the visit.


Culturally, we oblige our acquaintances. They have to be kept happy. Some have to be awarded with the highest honour of the land. Some grey minds have to be rehabilitated with paychecks. Many commissions and committees have to be appointed. No wonder, the economists in India are having party with one among them at the helms of affair.


Also, we are a bull-fighting nation with all at war with each other. As all can not be peaceful under the one roof, some have top be packed to other places for peace of mind of those in power. So, there are boards, council, etcetera, etcetera.


The parliament has done no blasphemy by passing this Bill. It was long overdue, something so obvious to put into black and white. Another step to institutionalise bribery. Why not pay incentive for work done by officials, clerks, staff, and millions of babus to cover bribery. May be efficiency would leapfrog. Time to be innovative, and get going.

(Read Upmanau Chatterjee's "Mammeries of welfare state" for insight into working of Indian State)